Mitzimouse's Profile
Chocolate-covered bacon (to buy)
"About Cheese" on Church Street between Wellesley and Alexander sells whole, intact bacon strips covered in chocolate. Delish. As we are regulars, they gave us some samples when they first introduced it there. Executive summary: Pig + chocolate = YUUUUUM.
If you decide to go there, go hungry and order their grilled cheese pannini. It is TDF. I have them add some Niagara Prosciutto in the sammy. I don't think this requires any description. It truly speaks for itself. :-)
Corporate dinner
i would go to Nota Bene. They have a room that is kind of annexed so you can have some privacy. The food is delicious, not overpriced, the service good and the wine interesting. It is at Queen and University. There is live music at Harlem Restaurant on Richmond at Jarvis. Worth a look. Harlem has good food (fried chicken- yum!!!) but the place is too small for a large dinner group.
You can also try the Stonehouse Grill on Winchester at Parliament. Just next door and up the stairs is a lounge called Samovar. They were to provide live music but you should check. It's focus is a vodka bar.
Langdon Hall Dinner - latest update anyone?!
I have always found the food there outstanding. I went with hubby for his b-day a couple of yrs back and it was sublime. I always love a cheese course and they never disappoint in that regard. I love that they grow a lot of their own produce on the premises and work w/ local providers.
I would go for the 7 course. As a professional foodie, I'd rather be stuffed than starved.
Funnily enough, I am going there Thursday morning for work and we are all staying overnight. My taste buds are already doing the happy dance in my mouth.
Langdon Hall has the Chateau Relais designation, the only inn in Canada to do so. This highly regarded European bestowement says it all! Enjoy Charles!
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Langdon Hall
1 Langdon Drive, Cambridge, ON N3H 4R8, Canada
WINGS!
St. Louis food in general bites the big one. Here I go again w/ the endorsement of my fave local hang out. Cranberries on Parliament just a smidge S of Wellesley on the E side has large, meaty, beautifully prepared wings. Husband and I split a large order and they will do 1/2 hot to accommodate me and 1/2 honey garlic for him. Have them with the sweet potato fries that are TDF, served w/ a cajun dip. Monday is wing night. Cheap and cheerful and delicious. Worth the trip, really!
ISO Flavored syrup for waffles/pancakes in Toronto
Hi mrlomax:
I was just in Winner's yesterday and in fact, picked up a bottle of roasted pecan syrup. There were others: blueberry raspberry and something else - can't remember. It was $7.99.
This was at the Yonge and College location but I think I've seen them at almost every other Winner's I've gone into.
Johnny G's - Cabbagetown
Hey cubmike74! Go directly to Cranberries on Parliament just south of Wellesley on the east side. It's like a diner and your mom's cooking all in one. Wings - yum! Sweet potato fries? The best in the area hands down. Amazing soups. Great Steak and Caesar combo on Wednesday nights for 10.99 I think. Casesar is amazing - no f-acon, just the real pig deal. Tonight it's spaghetti. All pastas are great and the chicken parmesan is fantastic value, delish and fills you up.
My husband and I practically live there. Last night we tried the new addition to the dessert menu. OMG! This amazing almost gingerbread like carrot cake, moister than you can imagine and swirled with cream cheese INSIDE the thing. My so called non-dessert eating friends attacked it with relish. I barely got my fix met.
Avenue & Lawrence update.
Yes, we made many attempts to see the menu. Went in blind because we didn't want to be rude and cancel at the last minute. Agree, there is nuking and then NUKING! It looked like it went through the "Is this hot enough for ya Lady?" setting - as if to make a point. Oh well. It's an experience to put behind and move on to other offerings.
Oy, Ge"VAULT"
Thx for the info, estufarian :-) I stand corrected. They DO have a website. We really had trouble finding it on line. Must be all that hot quiche I've been eating.
No brunch menu that I could find.
Avenue & Lawrence update.
I stand corrected. They DO have a website. There was no link from Toronto.com. I didn't know the resto had a "last name".
No brunch menu that I could find.
Thx for the info, estufarian :-)
Oy, Ge"VAULT"
Weeks ago, my husband and I were walking on Avenue Rd. and were captured by Vault. We went inside to check it out and a very nice waiter who was setting up for the evening hour kindly showed us around. The interior was lovely and we thought, what a nice place to take my M-I-L for Mother's Day. We booked a reservation for brunch there and then.
The waiter told us there was no menu available yet for MD but to contact them closer to the day. When the restaurant called us to confirm our reservation 3 days before May 9th, we asked for a copy of the MD Brunch Menu to be emailed to us. The person w/ whom we spoke stated she would do so. She never did, however.
Arriving there on MD, the anticipation was great and my M-I-L was so touched we had taken her to such an elegant looking place. We were hesitant about not having seen the menu but were hopeful it would be in keeping with the tasteful and elegant decor.
As soon as I saw the menu, I knew we had made a mistake. There were very few items that were truly "brunchy". It was almost as if they had taken their regular "brunch menu" and added Mother's Day at the top. The 3 identifiable brunch dishes were: smoked salmon and spinach omlette, French toast brioche with sausages and a bacon and cheddar quiche. Everything else seemed to heavy for a designation of brunch. Pasta with seafood? Striploin? And so on it went. There was no evidence that any creativity or care had been taken by the chef or the owners to truly make up a distinct brunch menu for a celebration such as Mother's Day.
My husband and his family are Jewish so the actual available brunch choices were paltry. No one wanted the smoked salmon omlette - like enough with the smoked salmon already. My husband, his parents and brother all ordered the Brioche French toast sans whipped cream and the sausage on the side (to be consumed by my very non-Kosher husband - smiting to follow).
The French toast came on a plate with a dice of fruit salad in a tiny glass cup. It looked sad. My M-I-L wondered if it was challah, not brioche. Too bad it wasn't rounded brioche french toast for something a little distinct. The chef could have at least cut the 2 slices on a diagonal and artfully arranged them with a sprinkling of icing sugar and a sprinkling of plump berries that gave the dish visual presence.
As the shiksa of the group, I ordered the bacon cheddar quiche. When I bit into it, in was STONE COLD. I alerted the waiter and asked him to return the quiche to the kitchen to be heated. The quiche was whisked off on a plate and I was left to munch away on my frites (which were good BTW as was the coffee).
The waiter returned w/ said quiche and I touched it to test the temperature. It was warm on the top and still cold on the bottom. When I advised him that it was STILL not to my liking, he explained that the chef told him to tell me it was a dish meant to be served cold. What?? A cold egg quiche? No thanks. It's arrogant that a chef should advise me as to how I like to eat my quiche. If I asked for a medium steak and he made it rare, should I eat it? No. If I like my eggs scrambled and the chef believes an egg should not be compromised this way, should I have them sunny side up?
I told the waiter that it was not my experience to have ever eaten cold quiche. I told him to return it to the kitchen and that I wanted a fresh piece this time.
A few minutes later, the waiter brought back my pathetic quiche remains, wobbling on a little plate, obviously torture-nuked. It was the same piece even after I distinctly asked for a fresh one. What a let down. The whole event was disappointing. We were all unimpressed.
The hostess/manager eventually came to apologize and appropriately, my dish was removed from the bill. She offered a free dessert platter if we returned for dinner. Uh, let me think...NO THANKS. You only get one shot to make a first impression. I am not going to give you a second chance after ruining our Mother's Day celebration with the offer of a dessert tray.
We have had many wonderful family brunches at Celestin - they do it right from service up. I only wish we had gone there instead this past Sunday .
PS - Vault has no website where we could have had the opportunity to view the menu. Come on people. It's 2010!
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Celestin
623 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, ON M4S 2M9, CA
Vault 2015
2015 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5M, CA
Avenue & Lawrence update.
Weeks ago, my husband and I were walking on Avenue Rd. and were captured by Vault. We went inside to check it out and a very nice waiter who was setting up for the evening hour kindly showed us around. The interior was lovely and we thought, what a nice place to take my M-I-L for Mother's Day. We booked a reservation for brunch there and then.
The waiter told us there was no menu available yet for MD but to contact them closer to the day. When the restaurant called us to confirm our reservation 3 days before May 9th, we asked for a copy of the MD Brunch Menu to be emailed to us. The person w/ whom we spoke stated she would do so. She never did, however.
Arriving there on MD, the anticipation was great and my M-I-L was so touched we had taken her to such an elegant looking place. We were hesitant about not having seen the menu but were hopeful it would be in keeping with the tasteful and elegant decor.
As soon as I saw the menu, I knew we had made a mistake. There were very few items that were truly "brunchy". It was almost as if they had taken their regular "brunch menu" and added Mother's Day at the top. The 3 identifiable brunch dishes were: smoked salmon and spinach omlette, French toast brioche with sausages and a bacon and cheddar quiche. Everything else seemed to heavy for a designation of brunch. Pasta with seafood? Striploin? And so on it went. There was no evidence that any creativity or care had been taken by the chef or the owners to truly make up a distinct brunch menu for a celebration such as Mother's Day.
My husband and his family are Jewish so the actual available brunch choices were paltry. No one wanted the smoked salmon omlette - like enough with the smoked salmon already. My husband, his parents and brother all ordered the Brioche French toast sans whipped cream and the sausage on the side (to be consumed by my very non-dietary adherent husband - smiting to follow).
The French toast came on a plate with a dice of fruit salad in a tiny glass cup. It looked sad. My M-I-L wondered if it was challah, not brioche. Too bad it wasn't rounded brioche french toast for something a little distinct. The chef could have at least cut the 2 slices on a diagonal and artfully arranged them with a sprinkling of icing sugar and a sprinkling of plump berries that gave the dish visual presence.
As the shiksa of the group, I ordered the bacon cheddar quiche. When I bit into it, in was STONE COLD. I alerted the waiter and asked him to return the quiche to the kitchen to be heated. The quiche was whisked off on a plate and I was left to munch away on my frites (which were good BTW as was the coffee).
The waiter returned w/ said quiche and I touched it to test the temperature. It was warm on the top and still cold on the bottom. When I advised him that it was STILL not to my liking, he explained that the chef told him to tell me it was a dish meant to be served cold. What?? A cold egg quiche? No thanks. It's arrogant that a chef should advise me as to how I like to eat my quiche. If I asked for a medium steak and he made it rare, should I eat it? No. If I like my eggs scrambled and the chef believes an egg should not be compromised this way, should I have them sunny side up?
I told the waiter that it was not my experience to have ever eaten cold quiche. I told him to return it to the kitchen and that I wanted a fresh piece this time.
A few minutes later, the waiter brought back my pathetic quiche remains, wobbling on a little plate, obviously torture-nuked. It was the same piece even after I distinctly asked for a fresh one. What a let down. The whole event was disappointing. We were all unimpressed.
The hostess/manager eventually came to apologize and appropriately, my dish was removed from the bill. She offered a free dessert platter if we returned for dinner. Uh, let me think...NO THANKS. You only get one shot to make a first impression. I am not going to give you a second chance after ruining our Mother's Day celebration with the offer of a dessert tray.
I only wish we had gone to Celestin. We have had many wonderful family brunches there - they do it right.
PS - Vault has no website where we could have had the opportunity to view the menu. Come on people. It's 2010!
Recs needed for bridal shower/brunch venue
You can try Mother Tuckers or the old standby, Mandarin which has some private dining areas. We've had many large family birthdays there. Where do you live in the city?
where to buy brisket
Agree. Cumbrae's provides a very nice brisket - a little pricier but I can really taste the difference. This year, we decided to be more budget conscious for putting on the seder for husband's family and bought a Costco brisket. It was good but I definitely missed the Cumbrae cut and quality.
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Cumbrae's
1636 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4G, CA
ISO : Frozen Mangoes
I've seen them as regular items in the freezer sections at Metro and No Frills - pretty available and not an arm and/or leg.
What is good in Guelph?
Agree about Artisinale. I had a horrible experience there. Service was slow and unattentive. I had the steak special which had a 1.5" wide rind of fat attached to a 1.5" wide strip of meat. Outrageous -- and it was tough and not at temperature. Even after complaining and leaving the steak untouched after the 1st bite, it remained on the bill. This was a special weekend for us and we were so disappointed by this alleged upscale place. Run...run like the wind.
Doing a Coq au Vin dinner for 9. Any suggestions for an appetizer?
OMG - so weird! As I was scrolling down to write you my suggestion, hotonoodle had beat me to it!! I, too, think the fennel/orange/olive salad is a perfect starter. I think you need something fresh and light to balance the meal. Pate, usuallty served w/ thin baguette slices or crostini would be too heavy and filling and your lovely coq au vin will be compromised.
I don't think you will need any sides w/ the C.A.V. except a nice crusty baguette to soak up the juices. I assume you will have tiny new potatoes, the babiest of carrots, pearl onions and mushrooms. Don't forget to sprinkle with finely chopped fresh parsley before serving.
As a dessert, I can taste a nice cherry clafouti with REAL whipped cream or REAL vanilla ice cream.. Yum. Please provide address and another place setting ;-)
Which Oliver & Bonacini restaurant to try? Suggestions, please.
Why is it closed Saturdays? Seems that would be a peak night?
Jamaican Chinese
I know there is (was?) a large Chinese population in Jamaica that has resulted in a culinary fusion of cuisines. Does anyone know of any good spots to try this specialty? I don't mean Hakka - which I believe is a different animal.
Bat Mitzvah
Hi,
My niece's Batmitzvah was catered by http://www.enville.com/. It was really quite good - creative, delicious and nice variety. Check it out.
ISO Good Tea Sandwiches
I've ordered from Loblaw's believe it or not and they were quite nice and reasonable. Have a look at their catering menu.
The First Date Game Plan.
For your next apres theatre experience, go for a late night fondue and chardonnay --sexy!!! I believe Barberian's has one for after 10. All that gooey, stringy, sharable melted cheese...yummmmmm
Patty melt in Durham region?
I agree -- Teddy's would likely custom make it to please the jonesin' mummy-tummy!
Frank at the AGO?
Yup -- go. Hubby and I were there for Valentine's '09. It was excellent and service was great - warm, friendly and attentive enough. Atmosphere is a lot warmer and cozier in the night hours.
Don't remember what I had exactly but I remember there was resulting excessive salivation of pleasure.
ISO best meatball sandwich in Toronto.
A bizarre suggestion, you may think...
There is a great little hole in the wall take out place in the industrial area of Bermondsey that serves a big fat tasty to die for meatball sandwich that deserves recognition.
There are maybe only 2 tables --it's mostly a takeout place for the local (deco) businesses. However, if you are in search of tiles and are hungry, hit this place and kill two birds with one stone.
Angelo's Hot Table - 20 Bermondsey. Love the veal too and everything is fresh and homemade. Check the hours before the trek. Worth the culinary schlep.
Best Spaghetti and Meatballs
Yes, it is, indeed, the Tuesday night special. Had it last week and really hit the spot.
Best Spaghetti and Meatballs
Haven't tried the nachos believe it or not. I will wait for your report!
Best Spaghetti and Meatballs
That's exactly what we used to do and then finally, curiosity got the better of us. This is our homestyle cheap and cheerful. The guy actually trained at the cordon bleu but the haute French didn't fly in the area. Instead, he turned it into a, for lack of a better term, sportsbar and it took off like gangsters. Mixed crowd, artsy, gay, yuppie and everything in between. It's our place where everybody knows our names now.
OK, on to the food: Siva, the cook, makes excellent soups which are an embarrassingly low 3.99. Sweet potato fries to die for. Fab wings. There's always a daily special, for example, new york strip and a caesar salad for 10.99 - the salad is excellent and he uses real bacon, not the fakon. pastas are all good and I like the lamb curry every now and again. I think in all the yrs we've been going there, only 2 misses, a soup I didn't care for and the ribs which, in spite of being a garlic lover, were too garlicky. Oh, and speaking of soups, in the winter, the manager Ruth, has instructions to phone us for a "beef barley alert" my absolute favourite soup of his.
Really, try it. You won't be disappointed.
Best Spaghetti and Meatballs
I love the S & M at Cranberries at Parliament and Wellesley. This is my standby, I'm too tired to cook, place where it feels you have a homemade meal waiting for you. The Tuesday night special is the spag 'n' 'balls. It is a very generous portion with LOTS of meatballs floating in a tasty red MEAT sauce. Yuuuum! Also, you get two side pieces of garlic bread - all for $9.99 - a steal. Have a tasty Greek salad to start -- order the small and share because it's definitely enough for two. They have nice tartuffo to finish off but detour Italia and have the apple crumble with ice cream...sigh...divine!
Diners, drive-ins and dives
Be very jealous, Juno. My brother-in-law has cooked there for yrs. We love to hold him hostage at family events to whip up his magic!
